Yes you are old school and you can do whatever you are comfortable with. Every oil analysis sent off by members not only on this forum but 2 other Ford forums I am on have proven the IOLM works and is actually conservative.

This has been posted time and time again. But there is no changing the minds of "old school" people.

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I just think that with the newer technologies that are in the newer oils out there anymore there is really no reason not to go my the oil life monitor in our vehicles. Also with the recommendations of the manufactures to run synthetic or semi synthetic instead of straight dino oil you can go a lot longer between changes.

Even the old theory of the manufacture putting in break in oil and that you need to change it out isn't necessary. But I know owners that want to adhere to a 3000 mile oil change and then there is the 5,000 mile oil change club. I'll have to admit that I did my first oil change on my Explorer at 7,800 miles and 20% oil life left just for the reason that I was going to be on the road when it came due and didn't want to deal with it at some quick change joint.

Yes you are old school and you can do whatever you are comfortable with. Every oil analysis sent off by members not only on this forum but 2 other Ford forums I am on have proven the IOLM works and is actually conservative.

This has been posted time and time again. But there is no changing the minds of "old school" people.

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Please tell us that you are not really giving all Explorer owners the advice that “black oil means nothing”? Do you also believe that conventional motor oil is as good or is as effective as synthetic motor oil?

Black oil could me something or nothing, it depends on the circumstances surrounding the color change. If we compare someone who lives out in the middle of a dusty desert, should they change their oil at the same interval as someone who drives on a paved freeway everyday back and forth from work, with little stop and go traffic? Not hardly, the person in dusty desert has a greater likelihood of their oil getting dirty much quicker than the commuter. Same situation if the commuter was being compared to someone that was towing a lot or driving in stop and go traffic in a warm climate a lot, not equal. What if oil turns black quickly after an oil change? That could be very indicative of sludge build up in the oil pan or perhaps something else. What if oil turns black and thickens? That too would be indicative of dirt and contaminants and probably means it’s time for an oil change. Lastly not all oil and oil filters are equal, some are better than others. So, how do you solve unequal oils, filters and environmental conditions without breaking the bank, change your oil and filter before manufacturers recommendations.

I'm with you Steven. I change the oil twice a year regardless of what the IOLM shows and I only drive about 2700 miles a year. My IOLM is usually down to around 55% by the time I change the oil. The way I look at it, it's my vehicle (Ford's really), my money and my time and I'll do with it what I want regardless of what others may think. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on this issue without being called "an idiot" by someone who has a different opinion.

how black was it? I mean subjective isn't even the right work to use. By some accounts mobile 1 - extended is darker than the basic so is it already dirtier.

I mean hell your tires look over inflated. I don't know if they are or not - not going to put a gage on it or check to a comparison standard. They look over inflated so they must be.

I'm not going to fault the guy for his concern and for all I know his oil was blacker than the ace of spades - I wasn't there.

but I will say that color is 1) subjective and 2) not a qualifier for the quality of the oil in hand.

Failing all that I'm of the early first oil change club I think I did mine at or near 1500 - and yes I know full well that engine was started at least twice before I got it - and had fresh oil put in at the factory after it's first start when it was built.

Please tell us that you are not really giving all Explorer owners the advice that “black oil means nothing”? Do you also believe that conventional motor oil is as good or is as effective as synthetic motor oil?

Black oil could me something or nothing, it depends on the circumstances surrounding the color change. If we compare someone who lives out in the middle of a dusty desert, should they change their oil at the same interval as someone who drives on a paved freeway everyday back and forth from work, with little stop and go traffic? Not hardly, the person in dusty desert has a greater likelihood of their oil getting dirty much quicker than the commuter. Same situation if the commuter was being compared to someone that was towing a lot or driving in stop and go traffic in a warm climate a lot, not equal. What if oil turns black quickly after an oil change? That could be very indicative of sludge build up in the oil pan or perhaps something else. What if oil turns black and thickens? That too would be indicative of dirt and contaminants and probably means it’s time for an oil change. Lastly not all oil and oil filters are equal, some are better than others. So, how do you solve unequal oils, filters and environmental conditions without breaking the bank, change your oil and filter before manufacturers recommendations.

Please tell us that you are not really giving all Explorer owners the advice that “black oil means nothing”? Do you also believe that conventional motor oil is as good or is as effective as synthetic motor oil?

Black oil could me something or nothing, it depends on the circumstances surrounding the color change. If we compare someone who lives out in the middle of a dusty desert, should they change their oil at the same interval as someone who drives on a paved freeway everyday back and forth from work, with little stop and go traffic? Not hardly, the person in dusty desert has a greater likelihood of their oil getting dirty much quicker than the commuter. Same situation if the commuter was being compared to someone that was towing a lot or driving in stop and go traffic in a warm climate a lot, not equal. What if oil turns black quickly after an oil change? That could be very indicative of sludge build up in the oil pan or perhaps something else. What if oil turns black and thickens? That too would be indicative of dirt and contaminants and probably means it’s time for an oil change. Lastly not all oil and oil filters are equal, some are better than others. So, how do you solve unequal oils, filters and environmental conditions without breaking the bank, change your oil and filter before manufacturers recommendations.

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That would fall under extreme conditions, in which Ford recommends 3000 to 5000 miles.

I changed the full synthetic oil at the 6000 mile mark, and it had 38% oil life remaining. It was black, but I don't change oil based on color, but I do sniff the dipstick, for odors. After 50 years, I can tell when oil is going bad based on the sniff test. Some might think that this is foolishness, but it works for me. I have been using full synthetic in both 2016 Explorers, and even though my wife and I drive differently, it seems that the OLM is usually at the same point in mileage and percentage of oil life left. This is the first time that I went past the 5000 mile mark on her car. I see the oil change records as meaning more to the next buyer of the car as important than necessary for myself, and for that reason alone, I only use the Motorcraft filters. Today, service records are very important to buyers.

FWIW Consumer Reports did a long term oil test / evaluation on NY City taxis a few years ago. They used the taxis due to the severe duty, the high number of miles they drive, lost of different drivers in each vehicle to balance out driving styles etc. They did 3000 mile oil changes on 50% and manufacturers recommended interval on the other 50%, 7500 miles +. After 150,000 miles they tore down and inspected the engines, absolutely no difference in engine condition. Not one of the vehicles experienced an engine related failure. They also used Mobil 1 in some vehicles and they were not in better condition than the conventional oil vehicles upon inspection. Interesting that one of the Mobil 1 vehicles did have an engine failure but CR did not believe it was oil related.

I use Mobil 1, typically change twice a year at about 6000 miles and my OLM is between 20 - 25%. We spend the winter away from our primary residence so I change before we leave regardless of miles

With my older Ford's with the 4.6 V-8's and my 2.0 Zetec, both easy on oil life, I went to 8-10,000 mile oil changes with synthetic oil. The oil always came out a slightly darker amber color, which means nothing. I had UOA done and the wear metals were low and there was plenty of life left in the oil. Our 2017 2.3 Ecoboost is our first vehicle with an OLM. Both Ecoboost engines being direct injected and turbo charged tend to be tougher on oil life I'm not sure it's wise to use the OLM. Did Ford calibrate it differently for the Ecoboost being tougher on oil life, I don't know. I changed the factory fill at 2,000 miles. The dealer supplied a "free" oil change but I found out they don't use Motorcraft 5W-30, they use some cheap bulk conventional oil. I changed that out after 3,200 miles because we were traveling over 6,000 miles in a 1 1/2 month period. I'll change it after the last trip, probably at about 7,000 miles and have an UOA done and see how it compares with what the OLM says. Even though it's mainly highway miles, they are brutal ones, running 75-85 mph for hours at a time. I'll post the UOA here when I get it back. For the Fall, Winter and Spring I'll use Motorcraft blend 5W-30 at 5,000 mile intervals or sooner if the OLM says to.

For those of you that want to find out exactly what your oil is doing you need to get is analized. The smell, feel, color, and other test that you do are nothing more than guesses.

I have used Blackstone Labs for my Ford diesel truck with the 7.3 engine in it for 20 years now. They will give you a break down of what is in the oil. Chemicals, metal, and whatever else and get the report back to you via email in less than a week after you ship them your sample. The samples are free and the fee to test your oil is only $28.00. They will also tell you just how far past your change that you should be able to take your oil.

But it you want to change your oil at 3,000, 5,000, or whenever it suits you that is also fine.

You can read the full analysis here. While some of the data points—like the amsoil in the tables above—seem to show less wear from one oil type versus another on a per-mile basis, Heffelfinger doesn’t think the difference is significant enough. He ultimately concludes that, in terms of wear rate, oil brand really doesn’t seem to be a huge factor, stating:

We see much more variation in wear levels from the type of engine, the time on the oil, the viscosity, the use the engine sees, etc. Whatever differences exist from oil brand to oil brand, we don’t see a lot of difference in terms of wear for most types of engines.

You can read the full analysis here. While some of the data points—like the amsoil in the tables above—seem to show less wear from one oil type versus another on a per-mile basis, Heffelfinger doesn’t think the difference is significant enough. He ultimately concludes that, in terms of wear rate, oil brand really doesn’t seem to be a huge factor, stating:

We see much more variation in wear levels from the type of engine, the time on the oil, the viscosity, the use the engine sees, etc. Whatever differences exist from oil brand to oil brand, we don’t see a lot of difference in terms of wear for most types of engines.

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I 100% agree that the brand does not matter and I only buy when on sale; which pretty much gets me synthetic at the price of conventional.

If the oil is black, feel the oil! If it is slippery and smooth, it is still good. but if it feels rough when you rub your thumb and middle finger with black oil in between, its time for oil change.

I will change to Amsoil right after I use up the 10 free oil change with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend. I go by 10k miles and its still good. With Amsoil, it will go by 25,000 miles each change. Add bypass, you will never change oil but change oil filters every 25,000 miles.

Some prefer to change at 3k, 5k, 7k or 10k miles, its your preference. With the today's oil technology advancement, changing at 3k is no longer needed and it now doubles or triples the change interval depending on the brand.

Mobil1 is NOT the best Synthetic oil as many come to believe. It has too much sulfur in the oil where Amsoil took out the sulfur which would have reduced the quality of the oil.

But then again each to its own. You do not have to agree with me if you do not wish. It is not my problem.

Not knocking anyone's decision as it is their own choice. I will throw out there after the above post.. if you go beyond 10k oil changes, kiss goodbye your engine warranty as well as if you add a bypass.

If the oil is black, feel the oil! If it is slippery and smooth, it is still good. but if it feels rough when you rub your thumb and middle finger with black oil in between, its time for oil change.

I will change to Amsoil right after I use up the 10 free oil change with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend. I go by 10k miles and its still good. With Amsoil, it will go by 25,000 miles each change. Add bypass, you will never change oil but change oil filters every 25,000 miles.

Some prefer to change at 3k, 5k, 7k or 10k miles, its your preference. With the today's oil technology advancement, changing at 3k is no longer needed and it now doubles or triples the change interval depending on the brand.

Mobil1 is NOT the best Synthetic oil as many come to believe. It has too much sulfur in the oil where Amsoil took out the sulfur which would have reduced the quality of the oil.

But then again each to its own. You do not have to agree with me if you do not wish. It is not my problem.

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My opinion, nope, do not agree and good luck to you.

I'm glad you know how good your oil is by feel. I'd rather go by an oil analysis report to show the actual data. Feel is subjective and what feels smooth and slippery to one person might feel gritty to another.

I have oil analysis reports showing the IOLM is conservative when using synthetic. I typically change when it's down to 20%, so there's still some life left, again, according to oil analysis report. I cannot see how the oil could go another 15k miles ( even the "best" synthetic ). On top of that, when does the oil filter clog and just bypass the filter?

I'll stick to ANY synthetic(typically Mobile 1 or Valvoline), Motorcraft filter, and go by IOLM and not worry.

I sort of agree with their study but it leaves a lot of variables on the table. How about the millions of data points that don't do UOA? Or put differently - people that know enough to do UOA know enough to better take care of their product. Even those that run them hard. Take one of those charts - say for the vettes - and break it down by only people that run track events. you'll only get a handful of results I guess - but you'd see the upper end of people that run them hard but take care of them. what oils do they use - well maybe there's something to that - for that need. Completely opposite to say my neighbor down the street. He does UOA every time he changes the oil - his vette (07) only sees the light of day when there isn't a cloud - it rarely ever goes more than 50-100 miles per outing and I think it barely has 12K on it. I bet it's not seen redline once.

replace with any other of the performance cars - while stripping out all the fleet MX vehicles. and I think it'd show slightly different results.